Transfer portal · 2026
North Carolina Tar Heels
Both windowsProjected two-deep impacti
+20
Projected two-deep roles added · 2026 arrivals
North Carolina added 20 transfers projected into the two-deep (14 as starters) against 31 departures whose next roles aren’t tracked here. Every number on this page is counted, not modelled — no composite portal grade is published because no defensible one exists yet.
23
Arrivals
-8
31
Departures
0.86
Avg rating in
-0.00
0.86
Avg rating out
20
Proj two-deep in
—
—
Out roles untracked
12 of 23
’25 production in
—
18 of 31
’25 production out
What changed
Depth concern
More players out than in with no two-deep answer — depth, not the starting line, is the exposure.
Still unresolved
Departures with no portal answer yet. Replacement must come from the returning roster or signing class.
How the roster changed
54 moves · 11 rooms touchediOffense-4 net players
Upgraded+2 players
OL
+6 in · −4 out · 3 proj starters in
InOut
S
Jordan Hall in from UAB drives the room.
Upgraded+1 player
TE
+3 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Jaxxon Warren in from Colorado State drives the room.
Replaced-1 player
QB
+2 in · −3 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Gio Lopez out to Wake Forest drives the room.
Depth concern-1 player
RB
+1 in · −2 out
InOut
?
Davion Gause out to NC State drives the room.
Depth concern-5 players
WR
+2 in · −7 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
?
?
Trech Kekahuna in from Wisconsin drives the room.
Defense-5 net players
Replaced—
EDGE
+3 in · −3 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
Tyler Thompson out to Louisville drives the room.
Replaced-1 player
LB
+2 in · −3 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
L
Mikai Gbayor out to Florida State drives the room.
Upgraded-1 player
CB
+1 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Ade Willie in from Michigan State drives the room.
Unresolved-1 player
S
+0 in · −1 out
InOut
No arrivals
Malcolm Ziglar out to South Florida drives the room.
Depth concern-2 players
DL
+2 in · −4 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
?
D'Antre Robinson out to Oregon drives the room.
Specialists+1 net players
Upgraded+1 player
K
+1 in · −0 out · 1 proj starter in
InOutNo departures
Aeron Burrell in from LSU drives the room.
No movement—
P
+0 in · −0 out
InOutNo arrivalsNo departures
No portal movement in this room.
No movement—
LS
+0 in · −0 out
InOutNo arrivalsNo departures
No portal movement in this room.
ArrivalDepartureHeavy ring · proj starter inThin ring · rotation inDotted · depth role or no ’25 recordMarker size = ’25 usage share (smallest = none recorded)
Did North Carolina replace what it lost?
Role slots, not player-for-playerReplaced6 chains
WR
Starting slot
Out · to Boston College
Javarius Green
rating 0.85 · 7% ’25 usage · 13 rec · 150 yds
Upgrade
High confidence
In · from Wisconsin
Trech Kekahuna
rating 0.88 · 7% ’25 usage · 26 rec · 211 yds · 129 rush yds · sl1 starter
Jan 5
▾ Detail
WR
Starting slot
Out · to Marshall
Chris Culliver
rating 0.84 · 5% ’25 usage · 5 rec · 100 yds · 1 TD
Upgrade
Medium confidence
In · from Lehigh
Mason Humphrey
rating 0.86 · z1 starter
Jan 11
▾ Detail
TE
Starting slot
Out · to Auburn
Jake Johnson
rating 0.86 · 7% ’25 usage · 16 rec · 149 yds · 1 TD
Replaced
High confidence
In · from Colorado State
Jaxxon Warren
rating 0.86 · 11% ’25 usage · 7 rec · 95 yds · 1 TD · te1 starter
Jan 5
▾ Detail
OL
Starting slot
Out · to Mississippi State
Miles McVay
rating 0.86
Replaced
Low confidence
In · from UAB
Jordan Hall
rating 0.87 · lt1 starter
—
▾ Detail
EDGE
Starting slot
Out · to Western Michigan
Austin Alexander
rating 0.86 · 3 tkl
Replaced
Medium confidence
In · from Delaware
Melkart Abou Jaoude
no ’25 production record · rde1 starter
—
▾ Detail
CB
Starting slot
Out · to NC State
Ty White
rating 0.85 · 3 tkl
Upgrade
High confidence
In · from Michigan State
Ade Willie
rating 0.86 · 16 tkl · 2 TFL · 1 PD · rcb1 starter
Jan 8
▾ Detail
Partially replaced7 chains
QB
Starting slot
Out · to Wake Forest
Gio Lopez
rating 0.86 · 51% ’25 usage · 170/261 · 1,747 pass yds · 10 TD · 5 INT
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Wisconsin
Billy Edwards Jr.
rating 0.86 · 11% ’25 usage · 7/16 · 113 pass yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · qb1 starter
Jan 4
▾ Detail
QB
Rotation slot
Out · to Georgia Southern
Max Johnson
41% ’25 usage · 54/87 · 437 pass yds · 2 TD · 0 INT
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Texas A&M
Miles O'Neill
rating 0.86 · 10% ’25 usage · 7/14 · 120 pass yds · 1 TD · 2 INT · qb2 rotation
Jan 6
▾ Detail
EDGE
Starting slot
Out · to Louisville
Tyler Thompson
rating 0.87 · 26 tkl · 7.5 TFL · 7 sk
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Richmond
Donovan Hoilette Jr.
rating 0.86 · lde1 starter
Jan 11
▾ Detail
DL
Starting slot
Out · to Texas A&M
CJ Mims
rating 0.88 · 41 tkl · 2.5 TFL · 2 sk
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Arizona
Isaiah Johnson
rating 0.89 · nt1 starter
—
▾ Detail
DL
Rotation slot
Out · to Oregon
D'Antre Robinson
rating 0.93 · 36 tkl · 2.5 TFL · 0.5 sk
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Florida
Tarvorise Brown
rating 0.86 · 4 tkl · dt2 rotation
Jan 5
▾ Detail
LB
Starting slot
Out · to Arkansas
Khmori House
rating 0.90 · 73 tkl · 2.5 TFL · 1 sk · 1 INT
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Richmond
Peyton Seelmann
rating 0.84 · wlb1 starter
Jan 7
▾ Detail
LB
Starting slot
Out · to Florida State
Mikai Gbayor
rating 0.91 · 36 tkl · 2.5 TFL · 1 sk
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Syracuse
Derek McDonald
rating 0.84 · 6 tkl · mlb1 starter
Jan 10
▾ Detail
Not replaced5 chains
RB
Production lost
Out · to NC State
Davion Gause
rating 0.86 · 12% ’25 usage · 258 rush yds · 4.2 ypc · 3 TD · 16 rec
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No starter/rotation addition
1 depth arrival in room
Jan 11
▾ Detail
WR
Production lost
Out · to Georgia Southern
Alex Taylor
rating 0.86 · 3% ’25 usage · 3 rec · 27 yds
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No further two-deep addition
2 two-deep arrivals answer other losses · 2 producing losses unanswered
Jan 18
▾ Detail
TE
Production lost
Out · to Virginia
Connor Cox
rating 0.87 · 3% ’25 usage · 5 rec · 21 yds
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No further two-deep addition
1 two-deep arrival answers other losses · 2 depth arrivals in room
Jan 10
▾ Detail
CB
Production lost
Out · to App State
Khalil Conley
2 tkl
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No further two-deep addition
1 two-deep arrival answers other losses
Jan 8
▾ Detail
S
Production lost
Out · to South Florida
Malcolm Ziglar
rating 0.84 · 5 tkl · 1 INT
Unresolved
Loss not replaced
In
No portal addition
Jan 6
▾ Detail
Quality vs experience
Portal rating
0.750.800.850.900.951.00
No ’25 usage recordHigh-upside betProven impactDevelopmentalExperienced depthLopezThurman
L
0%20%40%60%
’25 usage share of previous team’s snapsets
12 unrated moves not plotted — see the ledger
How much North Carolina depends on transfers
Projected 2026 two-deep · 53 slotsQuarterback100%
2
Skill (RB/WR/TE)70%
3
4
3
Offensive line78%
2
1
6
Front seven (EDGE/DL/LB)83%
2
3
7
Secondary (CB/S)40%
6
3
1
Specialists50%
5
3
2
Returning signeesPrior-cycle transfers2026 transfers
66%
Projected two-deep from transfers
35 of 53 two-deep slots
20 of 28
Projected starters from transfers
15 from the 2026 cycle, 5 held over
88th
ACC percentile · transfer share
3rd-most transfer-dependent two-deep of 17 ACC teams
Returning portal corePrior-cycle transfers still in the two-deep
Christo Kelly
OL · from Holy Cross · 2025 cycle · C1 starter
—
no ’25 record
Coleman Bryson
S · from Minnesota · 2025 cycle · FS1 starter
16 tkl
’25 · North Carolina
Peyton Waters
S · from Washington · 2025 cycle · FS2 rotation
3 tkl
’25 · North Carolina
Jacob Horvath
P · from Eastern Illinois · 2025 cycle · PT1 starter
—
no ’25 record
Benjamin Hall
RB · from Michigan · 2025 cycle · RB2 rotation
13%
’25 usage · North Carolina
Dayton Sneed
WR · from Tennessee · 2025 cycle · SL2 rotation
—
no ’25 record
Gannon Burt
LS · from Florida · 2025 cycle · LS1 starter
—
no ’25 record
Joseph Mupoyi
EDGE · from Penn State · 2025 cycle · RDE2 rotation
6 tkl
’25 · North Carolina
Nathan Leacock
WR · from Purdue · 2025 cycle · Z2 rotation
3%
’25 usage · North Carolina
Jonathan Agumadu
LB · from Oklahoma State · 2025 cycle · WLB2 rotation
10 tkl
’25 · North Carolina
Shamar Easter
TE · from Arkansas · 2025 cycle · TE2 rotation
2%
’25 usage · North Carolina
Timir Hickman-Collins
LB · from Florida State · 2025 cycle · MLB2 rotation
9 tkl
’25 · North Carolina
Greg Smith
S · from Florida · 2025 cycle · SS1 starter
20 tkl
’25 · North Carolina
Where North Carolina’s transfers came from — and where they went
Sources · 23 arrivals31 departures · destinations
SEC
6 players
Big Ten
5 players
Non-FBS
4 players
ACC
2 players
Big 12
2 players
Pac-12
1 player
Other
3 players
+
ACC
9 players
+
Unannounced
4 players
Sun Belt
4 players
SEC
4 players
American Athletic
3 players
Non-FBS
2 players
+
Other
5 players
North Carolina
-8 net moves
Arrived from · 23
SEC
6 players
Big Ten
5 players
Non-FBS
4 players
ACC
2 players
Big 12
2 players
Pac-12
1 player
+
Other
3 players
Departed to · 31
ACC
9 players
+
Unannounced
4 players
Sun Belt
4 players
SEC
4 players
American Athletic
3 players
Non-FBS
2 players
+
Other
5 players
6arrivals came from SEC programs — the single largest source.
20arrivals are projected straight into the two-deep (15 of 23 arrivals came from P4 leagues).
9departures stayed inside the ACC.
How the window developed
Cumulative net moves · in − out5 undated moves not plotted
All portal moves
54 of 54 moves match · 25 shownShow
Role in
Sort
PlayerPosDirectionOrigin / destinationRating’25 productionEligProjected roleDate
JT
Winter window · 3★
IJ
Window unrecorded
TK
Winter window · 3★
JW
Winter window · 3★
JH
Window unrecorded
AT
Winter window · 3★
BE
Winter window · 3★
JW
Winter window · 3★
JH
Winter window · 3★
TB
Winter window · 3★
MO
Winter window · 3★
AW
Winter window · 3★
RB
Winter window · 3★
DH
Winter window · 3★
MH
Winter window · 3★